Bangladesh cricket team. (Photo Source: BCB/Twitter)
A first innings total of 252 was not too imposing to hunt down but Bangladesh bowlers regined supreme to help their team draw level in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, winning the second ODI by 68 runs. Afghanistan suffered a batting meltdown as they went from 118/2 to 184 all-out after restricting Bangladesh for a manageable total.
The highlight of the first ODI, Allah Ghazanfar, struck early on as Tanzid Hasan bottomed one to mid-on’s hands. Just as skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar were looking set in the middle, Rashid Khan trapped Sarkar in front. Replays showed that the ball was pitching outside leg stump, but Sarkar walked off without challenging the decision. Shanto did bring up his half-century later on, becoming the first Bangladeshi batter to do so in Sharjah since 1990.
But Shanto’s dismissal in the 41st over stifled Bangladesh’s attempt to get to a decent score even though the 47th over bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi was dispatched for 18 runs with one of debutant wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali’s shots landing flush on the roof. Bangladesh ended on a high with 29 runs coming off the final three overs. Jaker’s unbeaten 37 off 27 helped his side cross the 250-run mark, with Farooqi conceding a whopping 69 in seven overs. All seven of Bangladesh’s wickets were scalped by the Afghan spinners.
Taskin Ahmed claimed Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s wicket for the fifth time across formats but Afghanistan had started fairly smoothly. By the time the first drinks break was called, the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side seemed moving in the right direction. But moment of brilliance from Mehidy Hasan Miraz at square-leg saw Sediqullah Atal’s back.
Shanto’s hand injury left him with no choice to leave the field, with Mehidy assuming the captain’s role from the 24th over onwards. Shahidi’s 40-ball toil at the crease was brought to an end in the same over in which Rahmat Shah brought up his half-century.
Disaster struck in the very next over as Azmatullah Omarzai departed for his second duck in a row, courtesy of a beautiful delivery by Nasum Ahmed which floated in with the angle and beat the outside edge to crash into the off stump.
Three deliveries later, a terrible mix-up saw the half-centurion Rahmat Shah depart for 52 off 76. Gulbadin Naib had already scored 12 off the first three deliveries off Shoriful Islam, but hit it straight to the man at extra cover to walk off. Rashid Khan departed after scoring 14 as the game was set done then and there. The final nail in the coffin was tGhazanfar’s wicket as his furniture was disturbed by Nasum, sealing a landmark 68-run victory for Bangladesh to stay alive in the series.